Happy Canada Day

The Canadian Heritage website says,

This year, as we celebrate the 141^st anniversary of Confederation, we also celebrate the 400th anniversary of Québec City, which also marks the founding of Canada. Let's Celebrate Canada!

This morning, sitting here in the fresh mountain air listening to songbirds, ravens, chattering chipmunks and squirrels amidst thousands of blooming wild roses in the thick green forest around our home (and sipping coffee in between bacon and eggs) I'm celebrating 400 years of Canada.

After the kids finish their breakfast I'll take them for a drive through the mountains around Spray Lakes in their mom's new Jeep Renegade Sahara. Dar's always wanted a Jeep and no one can get the smile off her face. It's a lot of fun getting the hard top off... driving over bumpy roads and splashing through the shallows with hair free in the wind... snapping on the soft top... wiping down after all the dust... Jeep's are a blast in the mountains. Hold on for the ride of your life.

Sitting here at breakfast with three books. You won't find me without a book or three or ten. So I'm sitting here reading a very cool old map book, Donald Wigal's "Historic Maritime Maps" - It's fascinating to watch the process of global discovery over 800 years. Also reading through "The Knights Templar: Discovering the Myth and Reality of a Legendary Brotherhood" - nothing really new learned here... but full of great colours and laid out well... an excellent introduction. The third document is "Independent Panel on Canada's Future Role in Afghanistan" which states,

Between October 12 and December 14, 2007, Panel members held face-to-face discussions in Ottawa, New York, Brussels and Washington, in addition to their trip to Afghanistan. They also met with individuals from elsewhere in Canada, the United States and Europe via video-conference.

While in Afghanistan, the panel traveled across four provinces - Kabul, Balkh, Bamiyan and Kandahar. They held meetings in Kabul, Bamiyan, Mazar-e-Sharif, Kandahar Airfield, Panjwai, Zhari, and Kandahar City. While in Kandahar province, the panel met with the Provincial Reconstruction Team at Camp Nathan Smith, and personnel at two forward bases, a police sub-station, and other military facilities.

Pilgrimage is always part of sound judgment.

Yesterday afternoon I bought the kids a bamboo xylophone (made in Indonesia) at Ten Thousand Villages. I bought it with Luke in mind after Dar and I watched War Dance with him about the children of Northern Uganda - and one particular boy in the documentary who played the xylophone.

So last night, all three kids went nuts on their new instrument...
and then they surprised me. Luke (eight years old)
sat the new instrument down in front of me
and tapped out a song while singing lyrics he had just made up.
I had to write the words down:

On the top of the Earth
Praise the One and Only God
There's only One Lord
Sing Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Sing Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Praise to the Lord
Praise to the Lord

Bree (six years old) wanted to give song writing a try,
so she tapped away and this came out:

When the gates open
You'll know where to go
Where God's Jesus Christ
comes down to the Earth
You'll know where to go
When you see the angels come
down the ladder
down the mountain
the ladder comes from the mountain
down to the Earth
Then you'll know where to go
You'll know where to go

Then we invited Nate (three years old) to give it a try
and he tapped away and sang:

Jesus, I love you (8 times)

Then Samuel said,
Do you think all God wants are sacrifices—
empty rituals just for show?
He wants you to listen to him!
Plain listening is the thing,
not staging a lavish religious production.
Not doing what God tells you
is far worse than fooling around in the occult.
Getting self-important around God
is far worse than making deals with your dead ancestors.
Because you said No to God command,
he says No to your kingship.
I Samuel 15:22-23

Heading out to the Canada Day Parade before our big Jeep ride...